Mayor Kevin Murdoch said Oak Bay has zoning in place for over 15,000 potential additional units in a letter to Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon.
The Jan. 15 letter which was made public said the district was disappointed by the tone of the minister's letter of Dec. 17, 2024, and Kahlon's subsequent comments singling out Oak Bay for “not doing its part.”
The minister released a report in December showing how many units had been built by municipalities that had been given housing targets in late 2023. Oak Bay was given a target of 56 units, and over the year 16 units were constructed, or about 29 per cent of its target.
"Local governments set policy conditions to enable housing, not build it," Murdoch said in his letter, pointing out that the housing target progress report reflects policies implemented several years ago and applications filed prior to recent regulations.
"These units are predominantly the result of Oak Bay’s 2022 changes on secondary suites. It’s important to also recognize external influences over which we have no control including financing, interest rates, land availability, land cost, and trades availability, all of which significantly impact project timelines."
The report showed while Oak Bay had fallen well short of its target, Saanich built about 77 per cent of its 440 mandated units, and Victoria built 224 per cent of its 659 mandated units.
"It's frustrating, and it's frustrating for communities when they're making tough decisions on approving housing when neighbouring communities are not doing their part, and that is clearly the case here," Kahlon said in an emailed statement to Oak Bay News at the time of the December report. "I mean, if you look at the amount of housing Victoria and Saanich are approving, and compare it to the District of Oak Bay, it's a significant difference."
Murdoch's letter points out Oak Bay will address multi-family zoning through the official community plan process in 2025, and has initiated the streamlining and optimizing of development application processes, and created programs to fund infrastructure for growth.
"Given Oak Bay has implemented all provincially required policy changes, the development pipeline shows an increase in housing, and 40 units is the smallest shortfall of any of the initial seven non-compliant members, a provincial advisor would not be as helpful as additional resources to support Oak Bay such as funding a staff position or assisting UVic with their development planning process."
He said as of Sept. 30, 2024, there were 11 in-stream development applications that could potentially deliver 61 net new units, as well as 70 units approved but not yet built.
Murdoch goes on to voice concern with the reference to Carnarvon Park in Kahlon's Dec. 17 letter.
"Our process related to park master planning, not a rezoning application, so the only jurisdiction the province would have here is to expropriate Oak Bay’s parkland, force rezoning, and undertake housing development directly – we request clarification of your intent in this matter as soon as possible."
Murdoch said council and staff would welcome the opportunity to meet with the minister to discuss how they could work together to meet the community's housing needs.
